Inter-Cultural and Inter-Racial contact between the Comanche and Euro-American Settlers - Assignment Example

Midterm How do Wayne’s portrayal of Ethan and his relationships with Martin and Debbie--within a racial context--depict the character’s ethical dilemma? The scene that clearly describes Ethan’s ethical dilemma is which has a captive white woman. This scene portrays Ethan’s racism character as elucidated by his hateful face. He describes that even if Indian women lives among the American population they cannot become Comanche. Remarks made describing the Indian women as mad shows that there cannot exist a harmony between the two races (Schwarz, 2014). Debbie whose racial identity is in dispute causes differences between Ethan and Martin. She has been moving across the racial divide, to the white and then to Indian and to white again. Debbie is used to depict white civilization and Indians Barbarism. Since he is a mix of Indian and Whites blood, causes a conflict between the two characters; Ethan and Martin. Martin, who is described by Ethan as being eighth-part Cherokee, elicits an ethical dilemma due to his biological origin. In the entire film Ethan had maintained his hatred of individuals who are “half-breed, however, in the whole film Martin is portrayed as a self-conserved member of the white settler community. Schwartzman, (2012), also gave an insight into the same issue and claimed that to prove this Ethan’s counterpart in terms of racial vitriol Jorgensen’s daughter Laurie. She had a relationship with Martin confirming he falls on the white side. Despite the fact that Debbie and Martin try hard to defend their distinctions from the Indians and remain on the side of the Whites, Ethan is portrayed as the source of controversy in the distinction process. At the end of the scene, Martin kills the Indian and not Ethan. However, Martin does not portray the wrong image of felony and hatred that characterizes Ethan. In quoting Eymans words “hates Indians for their Savagery and takes their scalps for killing his relatives (p.155). For this reason, his dilemma is evident in that despite having a prolonged hate to the Indians he does not commit any felony against them. Further to that he also saved Debbie from the hand of death. What causes Ethan’s catharsis from an unregenerate racist to a compassionate blood and adoptive Uncle? Ethan’s attitude towards Martin is debatable. Initially, he is harsh on him but in the end he becomes compassionate of him and consequently makes him his heir. According to Matheson, (2011), the debatable nature of Ethan attitude is portrayed when he makes Martin his heir when he retracted his ancestral relationship with Debbie. However, Martin persistently rejected the offer and insisted carry a pursuit to save Debbie. This makes Martin be a rightful member of the civilized community of the whites. Ethan hatred towards the Indians is evidenced by contempt to kill his niece after he had suspected her of having sexual relations with an Indian scar. Further to that, he is seen shooting already dead Indian in the eye and killing buffalos so that the Comanche could not hunt. However, he drops his ego, and he does not harm his niece, but he takes her to be his possession and took care of her eventually. Debbie and Martin became his best friends. Eventually, he becomes a compassionate blood and an adoptive Uncle. Scar is portrayed as the person who reverted his perception towards the Indians (p. 37). 2. How does Director John Ford depict inter-cultural and inter-racial contact Between the Comanche and Euro-American settlers on the Texas Frontier? Matheson (2011), had a different perception altogether, he argues that the main theme of the film is to research on the race and Miscegenation. Miscegenation is an act of mixing the White and Non-white races. Consequently, this generates a breed that can be termed as having inter-cultural and inter-racial contacts. Ford scrutinizes the samples of racial mixtures in Texas and the southwest, considering them as a representation of the Western culture. He further explains that, the areas were inhabited by the Indians, Mexicans and the Whites a good example of interracial mixing. However, Ford did not articulate clearly on the accurate composition of the West, but from his Examination it is evident that his conclusions were, western society is intermixed. In his film he depicts the West as God fearing, a society made up of heroes and civilized while Indians are viewed as barbaric and savaged Indians in a dangerous frontier environment. Interestingly, In the real sense the Texas Frontier was made up of intercultural and interracial composition. There were people speaking different languages, Hispanic population inhabiting a large section of the West, Mexican immigrants, whites who were born there and Africans- Americans (Graff, 2013). Additionally, it was comprised of immigrants from many nations in Europe and Asia. The diverse composition of the Western society, as shown in the film, is as a result of different geographical locations that the search covered and the form of the search itself. It is in Edward farm that the stolen cows were examined. However, the exact locality of the farm is unknown though it is believed to be on the frontier. This is the western part of Texas where the settlers have maintained their bad blood with the Indians such as the Comanche. In the search, they covered massive territorial distances, and this evoked a more complicated representation of the trends of different communities towards interracial and intercultural relations that had previously been represented by Ford. Additionally, as Aaron notes, the life in the frontiers is somehow challenging, and this has made many residents give up on their farming practices and turned to picking cotton. The conflicts in the region are as a result of the political and social changes that have been brought about by the interbreeding practices. How does Ford’s fictional plot and characterization compare with Zech’s historical narrative? In zest’s historical narrative, it is made up of fierce characters who are violent and heroic fighter. Indian fighters, cowboys and laymen equipped with strong ammunitions are depicted as the enemies of their success (Tharp, 2006). In his excerpt claims that in Fords narrative, the main characters are in a dilemma; initially they are seen as fierce characters but later retracts and becomes humble characters (Tharp, 2006, p.24). In part of his narrative, discovery of Gold in Alaska made lead to an emergence of a new frontier. Further to that, a good lead into the narrative by Zesch can be traced in the Fords fictional narrative. Fords narrative is based on creativity but not real occurrences while Zesch history narrative is made of reality happenings at a specific period in history. 4. Does Zesch’s research unearth similar mentalities and actions on the part of the families and friends seeking the recovery of the captives he studies? In Zesch’s research found that the Indians had captured his ancestor, who was by then a teenage boy had just arrived at the Texas Frontier. Consequently, he was returned to his family but the ordeal he had passed through during the time in captivity haunted him all the days of his life. The German settlers had moved out of their native land in pursuit of greener pastures, however, in the place they settled they encountered holistic Indians who captured some of them to intimidate them and leave their land. The Indians had well-crafted gangs of warriors and heroes who fought against their enemies. Zesch’s research unearthed similar mentalities and actions that were being taken by families and friends seeking the recovery of the captives from Indians. All the German prisoners were released by the power of a fist, the bloodthirsty Indians were overpowered and the captives released. However, the remnants were integrated into the cultural and diverse beliefs of the Indians. Did Uncle Ethan or the historical actors examine by Zesch Believe? female or male, captives were unredeemable after living in inter-racial sexual or Marital relationships? Yes. A good example is the scene that describes the sexual defilement of the White woman. The defilement made it impossible for the woman to be saved from that ordeal since the act made her become an Indian by removing her from the White community permanently. As a result, the actors including Uncle Ethan felt that in such a situation, saving such a woman was meaningless. The practice justifies the actions of the Hero (Graff, 2013). In Zesch’s narrative, the captured women resist fate that is worse than death and maintains her virginity until her Hero saves her. Contrary to that in the searches narrative, Debbie retracts her origin after it was alleged she had sexual encounters with Scar. Interestingly, the narrative does not authenticate the rejection portrayed by Ethan to Debbie. Finally, when Martin saves her from captivity, he is viewed as a more civilized person than the two. Does the characterization of Ethan personify mid-19th century Notions of race, miscegenation, and “womanhood” more than specific historical actors? Yes. According to Schwartzman, (2012), the searches film is build up on fake beliefs or stereotypes of the Western. It becomes apparent that the real hero Martin is ignored while Ethan is glorified and praised as a hero as the movie progresses. Ethan, who is portrayed as a Hero in the narrative, is in the real sense a racist and a man who cannot fit in the society and the community since he is physically disturbed. The authentic hero, who is a mixed-race gentleman (Martin), is a humble and protective guy of white womanhood. However, he is not much concerned with the purity of the women as most of the 19th-century individuals. Many of the historical actors have never been able clearly to elucidate the notions of race, miscegenation, and “womanhood”. In the American society, there were rules that were set that used to portray these notions in an evil image contrary to the correct perception represented by Ethan character. 6. How might the concepts of “whiteness,” “the racialized other,” and race as a dynamic Cultural construction or socially-conferred status, apply to the experience of so-called “White Indians” during the 19th and early 20th Centuries. The film uses characters that can be referred as having a hybrid position. Martin perpetuates his whiteness through his decision. However, Debbie position is not determined by her instincts but by the judgment of the men who surrounds her. For this reason, since that time, women have not been given a chance to choose their destiny but men decide for them. The instances of being converted from being a white to Indians are perceived as being gender specific. Debbie hybrid position becomes a factor of her defilement, and she cannot decide for herself whether she is an Indian or a white. Ultimately, she cannot decide her transgression, her fate remains in hands of men to determine her destiny; this is accordance with the captivity myth. The same scenario happens in 29th century (Schwartzman, 2012), women are not independent creatures as their male’s counterparts and their actions and behaviors are determined and controlled by men. The same way Debbie was hopeless and incapable of releasing herself from captivity the same situation is witnessed in 20th-century women (Graff, 2013)... Were these former captives “racialized” after their return to white society by their families, peers, and the larger Community? Yes. However, their acceptance back to the society was met with objection and acceptance equally. In the film, for instance, the solution was to delete the Indianness in Debbie by downgrading her to be a little child, not the real grown up Debbie (Tharp, 2006). By doing that she was to be accepted back to her right race. Consequently, it is believed that the person brought back home by Ethan is not the beautiful and elegant woman outside Comanche village but she is portrayed as the child abducted five years ago. Were they perceived as “mixed-race” or “non-white” persons by white Society because of culture rather than biology? It was because of the culture. Borrowing insights of Graff, (2013), Integration in a different community translates to a change of culture to adopt the new culture. During transgression, an individual will necessarily change their beliefs and actions. However their biological makeup will remain the same or unchanged. For this reason, in case in the future such an individual moves away from their community there will only be a cultural change but not biological changes. When Martin and Ethan first met her, she spoke to Ethan in the Comanche’s language objecting her return to the Whites (Schwartzman, 2012.) She had fully been integrated into the Indian community and made one of the Scars wives. Despite the fact that at last she returned to the White community her initial feelings were to remain with the Indians. References Tharp, R. G. (2006). Four hundred years of evidence: Culture, pedagogy, and Native America. Journal of American Indian Education, 45(2), 6-25. Nelson, J. T. (2014). The Berkhofer Duality Revealed in the Western Films of John Ford and John Wayne. Madison Historical Review, 4(1), 1. Schwarz, M. T. (2014). Searching for a Feminist Western: The Searchers, The Hired Hand, and The Missing. Visual Anthropology, 27(1-2), 45-71. Matheson, S. (2011). “Lets Go Home, Debbie”: The Matter of Blood Pollution, Combat Culture, and Cold War Hysteria in The Searchers (1956). Journal of Popular: Film & Television, 39(2), 50-58. Graff, P. A. (2013). Indian Identity: Case Studies of Three John Ford Narrative Western Films (Doctoral dissertation, The Pennsylvania State University). Schwartzman, R. (2012). Re-searching my Scar: Interrogating otherness in The Searchers and in my racial rearing. Cultural Studies - Critical Methodologies, 1532708612457640. Read More